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Overview

The industrious expelled girl reaches an old woman’s vine-covered house after tending a dog, tree, fountain and oven along her way. The hostess introduces herself as the goddess of Sunday and offers a day’s service. She goes to church, leaving instructions to wash and feed her sleeping children and prepare a meal at a suitable temperature. The called children prove to be dragons and wild beasts of every size. The girl washes them without flinching, and Sunday returns delighted with the work.

Sunday allows her to choose a chest as wages, to be opened only at home. She selects the oldest, ugliest one and receives a blessing; it releases horses, cattle and sheep. Her lazy stepsister later scalds the children and spoils the food. Sunday still permits a choice of chest, but the girl selects the newest and finest and departs without seeking the blessing. Opened at home, it releases dragons that swallow the girl and her mother, then vanish with the chest. The edition calls the hostess a goddess who attends church; the profile preserves that combination without assigning another deity’s name or making her a biological mother of every beast she calls a child.

Introduces herself as SundayAttends churchCalls dragons and beasts childrenService testChoice of reward chest
01

Origins & earliest records

Roumanian Fairy Tales, collected by Mite Kremnitz, adapted and arranged by J. M. Percival (New York: Henry Holt, 1885), The Two Step-Sisters, pp. 130–138.

02

Records & interpretation

Complete selected English narrative through both chest openings and the final marriage. Preface assigns tale 14 to Creanga.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Roumanian Fairy Tales: The Two Step-Sisters, pp. 130–138

    Mite Kremnitz, collector; J. M. Percival, adapter and arranger · 1885

    Preface assigns tale 14 to Creanga in Convorbiri Literare. Complete English adaptation; Romanian original not collated.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Primary historical English adaptationKremnitz/Percival 1885: The Two Step-SistersResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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